We had a very busy day today. We started out at the breakfast buffet which included fried rice, lo mien, dim sum, an omelet bar, toast, and two types of vegetables and sauce. Then we loaded into a bus and headed for the Great Wall.
We made one stop at a factory that does jade carvings. They told us about the different grades of jade and how to determine if jade is real or not. The most interesting thing that I learned is that Chinese cabbage is an important thing when it comes to fung shu (I think I totally spelled that wrong but you know what I mean). You are supposed to put it in your house to bring good luck. The leaves have to face the door and/or window and the roots should face in or all of your luck will leave (who knew?????). After a bit of browsing, it was back on the bus and off to THE wall.
It is pretty exciting to be able to see it as we drove up. I had every intention to climb a least a little way up, until I saw it. No on bothered to mention that is practically straight up in the spot where we were going. I am scared of heights and knew that if I went up I would not be coming back down again. Needless to say, David and I climbed the ramp up to the tower at the base of the section we visited. David took a bunch of pictures and I video taped a little. Then we found a couple of soda and enjoyed the shade until everyone else was finished. A few people from our group made it to the top (including a 4 and 5 year old, it was less scary for them because they are much closer to the ground). It looked like the view was great based on the pictures I have seen, but I am totally satisfied with having kept myself close to the bottom people watching. I can still say that I climbed the Great Wall, don’t have to tell anyone how far we went.
The food here is okay. Everyone is kind of scared to eat because we are afraid we will get sick. I have been trying things and feel fine so far. I was very excited when we had mini bean paste spring roll things at lunch (THEY ROCKED!!!!). We had Kung Po chicken for lunch and dinner and it was pretty tasty as well. I think that we will have more options once we are out of Beijing and can get out on our own a bit more. On a strange side note, there is a seal living in our hotel. He lives between the aquariums of living food (including one cute turtle) and the fancy restaurant where we ate dinner tonight. I felt sorry for him because he is in a little, tiled pool surrounded by glass that is about 3 or 4 feet tall. He kept giving everyone the stink eye when they were standing and looking at him.
After lunch we went to see an acrobat show. It was pretty good except we were all fighting to stay awake the entire time. If you have seen the Big Apple Circus or Cirque de Soliel it was similar to what they do in those shows. They did an amazing bicycle act where there were like 12 girls on one bicycle at the end and there were these amazingly flexible girls who had me wondering how they avoid serious neck injuries since they could lay on their chins with the butts on the top of their heads and their feet flapping around in the air.
I almost forgot that we drove through the Olympics park today. The Bird’s Nest is BEAUTIFUL!!! We also saw the Water Cube building and the tower where they will light the torch (It is outside of the main stadium which our guide that was very strange because it will make it awkward to light the torch.) There is a giant apartment complex across the street that is built like a dragon. It is three or four buildings in a row that are 10 or 15 stories high and then at the front of them is a very tall building that they have built so that it looks like it has a dragon’s head at the top (use your imagination).
Tomorrow we are going to the Forbidden City/Tiananmen Square and then flying off to Nanchang where we will meet Annika on Monday. We are going to meet the babies in the hotel at 9:30 Monday morning (China time).
Gotta go so that I can get some sleep.
We made one stop at a factory that does jade carvings. They told us about the different grades of jade and how to determine if jade is real or not. The most interesting thing that I learned is that Chinese cabbage is an important thing when it comes to fung shu (I think I totally spelled that wrong but you know what I mean). You are supposed to put it in your house to bring good luck. The leaves have to face the door and/or window and the roots should face in or all of your luck will leave (who knew?????). After a bit of browsing, it was back on the bus and off to THE wall.
It is pretty exciting to be able to see it as we drove up. I had every intention to climb a least a little way up, until I saw it. No on bothered to mention that is practically straight up in the spot where we were going. I am scared of heights and knew that if I went up I would not be coming back down again. Needless to say, David and I climbed the ramp up to the tower at the base of the section we visited. David took a bunch of pictures and I video taped a little. Then we found a couple of soda and enjoyed the shade until everyone else was finished. A few people from our group made it to the top (including a 4 and 5 year old, it was less scary for them because they are much closer to the ground). It looked like the view was great based on the pictures I have seen, but I am totally satisfied with having kept myself close to the bottom people watching. I can still say that I climbed the Great Wall, don’t have to tell anyone how far we went.The food here is okay. Everyone is kind of scared to eat because we are afraid we will get sick. I have been trying things and feel fine so far. I was very excited when we had mini bean paste spring roll things at lunch (THEY ROCKED!!!!). We had Kung Po chicken for lunch and dinner and it was pretty tasty as well. I think that we will have more options once we are out of Beijing and can get out on our own a bit more. On a strange side note, there is a seal living in our hotel. He lives between the aquariums of living food (including one cute turtle) and the fancy restaurant where we ate dinner tonight. I felt sorry for him because he is in a little, tiled pool surrounded by glass that is about 3 or 4 feet tall. He kept giving everyone the stink eye when they were standing and looking at him.
After lunch we went to see an acrobat show. It was pretty good except we were all fighting to stay awake the entire time. If you have seen the Big Apple Circus or Cirque de Soliel it was similar to what they do in those shows. They did an amazing bicycle act where there were like 12 girls on one bicycle at the end and there were these amazingly flexible girls who had me wondering how they avoid serious neck injuries since they could lay on their chins with the butts on the top of their heads and their feet flapping around in the air.
I almost forgot that we drove through the Olympics park today. The Bird’s Nest is BEAUTIFUL!!! We also saw the Water Cube building and the tower where they will light the torch (It is outside of the main stadium which our guide that was very strange because it will make it awkward to light the torch.) There is a giant apartment complex across the street that is built like a dragon. It is three or four buildings in a row that are 10 or 15 stories high and then at the front of them is a very tall building that they have built so that it looks like it has a dragon’s head at the top (use your imagination).
Tomorrow we are going to the Forbidden City/Tiananmen Square and then flying off to Nanchang where we will meet Annika on Monday. We are going to meet the babies in the hotel at 9:30 Monday morning (China time).
Gotta go so that I can get some sleep.
4 comments:
Hey, I've been on that wall. I made it up to the first bend (to the left) and then stopped. Looks easy, but doing it is actually pretty darn hard.
Hello, Karl and I are also with Cawli and are DTC is 5/29/06. It is really nice to go along on your blog on your trip. I am so excited for all the familys to see the babies, make sure you have tissues! There was not a dry eye the first time in china for me! I hope you enjoy every min. in China.
Denise, Karl and Hannah
Ditto on the wall girl, I made it up to the little gift shop up on the right & then my knees INSISTED we head back down for SOLID GROUND, ICE CREAM & PEOPLE WATCHING! AND was joined by OUR GUIDE (who was also afraid of heights, but not afraid of people watching!) hehe
-Amy & Ruby Cate
www.bookmyblog.com
OMG babies soon, really, really soon!
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